ISLAMABAD: Less than a month ahead of the forthcoming general elections, the caretaker government on Wednesday added two more federal ministers to its cabinet.

President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath to the new ministers during a ceremony held at the presidency.

Former defence secretary Lt Gen Naeem Khalid Lodhi and a prominent businessman Mian Misbahur Rehman were sworn in.

Khalid Lodhi has been given the portfolios of the ministry of defence in addition to Aviation Division, National Security Division and the ministry of defence production.

Earlier, these ministries were given to Abdullah Hussain Haroon in addition to his main responsibility as Foreign Minister.

Mian Rehman has been given the portfolios of the ministry of textile and commerce and the ministry of trade and commerce. Previously, these ministries were being looked after by Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar.

The oath-taking ceremony was attended by caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk, members of the federal cabinet and other senior officials.

The size of the federal cabinet is smaller. This month a six-member caretaker federal cabinet was sworn in which included former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Roshan Khurshid, Barrister Ali Zafar, former ambassador to the UN Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Azam Khan and Muhammad Yusuf Shaikh.

It is believed that the six members of the federal government are already under immense burden as each of them holds multiple ministers, and therefore, the addition of two new ministers will provide relief to them.

The last federal cabinet of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had over 40 members, and the cabinet of the Pakistan Peoples Party government in 2008 to 2013 had more than 60 members.

Retired Lt Gen Khalid Lodhi was appointed defence secretary in late 2011. He also served as Bahawalpur Corps Commander and retired from the army in March 2011. Mr Lodhi was removed from the office of defence secretary by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in 2012 amid tensions bet­ween the civilian government and the military leadership over the Memogate scandal.

Misbahur Rehman is a known figure in the business circles of the country and held office of the chairman of the Lahore Gymkhana Club, Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and member of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

He also served as director of the Sui Northern Gas Pip­elines Limited, where he also held the post of chairman on a temporary basis. He is also a member of the governing body of the Workers’ Welfare Fund of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2018